蜚
beetle, cockroach
Readings
On'yomi
- ヒ
Kun'yomi
- あぶらむし
Meaning
蜚 centers on a kind of insect: specifically a beetle or cockroach. The two given meanings are both crawling insects, with cockroach being a common household pest.
Most common words using 蜚
- 八重山斑蜚蠊やえやままだらごきぶり
Rhabdoblatta yayeyamana (species of cockroach)
- 家蜚蠊いえごきぶり
harlequin roach (Neostylopyga Rhombifolia); harlequin cockroach
- 小笠原蜚蠊おがさわらごきぶり
Surinam cockroach (Pycnoscelus surinamensis)
- 斑蜚蠊まだらごきぶり
Rhabdoblatta guttigera (species of cockroach)
- 森茶翅蜚蠊もりちゃばねごきぶり
Blattella nipponica (species of cockroach)
- 瑠璃蜚蠊るりごきぶり
Eucorydia yasumatsui (species of cockroach)
- 鎧土竜蜚蠊よろいもぐらごきぶり
giant burrowing cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
Study
Etymology
蜚 combines 虫 (insect) with 非, which likely contributes the sound. The character is used for beetles and cockroaches.
Meaning mnemonic
The top part 非 looks like two wings or legs, and the bottom 虫 is an insect. Picture a beetle with its legs spread out, or a cockroach scurrying with its legs visible.
Reading mnemonic
For ヒ, imagine a hissing cockroach: the hiss sound cues ヒ, and the insect hisses as it crawls.